One desire leads to another. Like the human DNA, desires have their own DNA. Awareness is the key to tame them.

A few people have asked me regarding their options of contacting me and contributing towards the ashram project. Before I answer their question, let me narrate a story I read over twenty years ago in a children’s illustrated book.

Once upon a time, a guru and his disciple — an ordained monk — lived blissfully on the outskirts of a certain village. After the guru had imparted the teachings, he decides to go away and do tapas, penance, in solitude for a few years. He speaks to his disciple and informs him about his decision. The guru further instructs his disciple regarding the code of conduct reminding him of his vows of sannyasa, renunciation, and asks him to stay firm in his nitya karma — spiritual discipline.

The guru bids goodbye and proceeds to make tracks towards his destination.The disciple starts leading a life of righteous conduct keeping only minimal possessions. A couple of cooking pots, his begging bowl, two sets of ochre robes and loincloths being his only material possessions. One day, he is greatly perturbed on finding his loincloth tattered by mice. When he goes for alms that day, he asks some villager for a piece of cloth so he may replace his loincloth. The donor obliges. The following day, however, the same thing happens again — mice shred the new loincloth into pieces.

The disciple is feeling uncomfortable begging for a new loincloth yet again. Nevertheless, he asks for another one; needs easily overpower self-esteem just like lustful desires can override morality and intelligence. The giver advises him to keep a cat to eliminate the rats. “What a plausible idea”, thinks the disciple. The same day he arranges for a cat and as expected, rats disappear like they never existed, so like most material attainments.

A few happy days pass by before the disciple faces another challenge. Truly, such is the nature of material world; it is so temporary and unstable. He now has to feed the cat. And in order to do that, he has to beg for more food. An intelligent soul suggests that the disciple should keep a cow. He further argues that cow’s milk could be used to feed the cat as well as supplement monk’s meal. A noble one in the village promptly donates a cow. The disciple experiences a rush of ecstasy thinking of all the dairy products he will have free access to henceforth.

Another few days go by; the disciple now has a cottage, a cat, a shed for the cow with the cow in it. Of course, his loincloths are intact now. Feeding, cleaning and milking the cow takes most part of his day. He finds himself gasping for time to perform his spiritual practices. After all, if not for the life of an ordained monk, he would not even need to be in the loincloth at the first place. He takes his predicament to a wise householder in the village. The neo-grey-haired wise man happens to have a daughter of marriageable age. Seeing the simple nature and virtuous qualities of the monk, he offers his daughter’s hand to him. The monk sees little harm and lot more benefit. So, he agrees; a natural reaction. For, in desperation one’s thinking is clouded and all means appear just and right.

The wife turns out to be a noble woman. They start to lead a happy life. Everything becomes easy for the disciple. His daily needs are met by the loyal and clever wife. She encourages him to procure more land around his cottage and more animals so they can sell milk, and make, and therefore save, more money. They, naturally, add a couple of kids to the family equation. The monk makes a compromise with his spiritual practices since he now finds making money and the gaudy life more attractive. Occasionally, he spares a thought for his guru and a sense of guilt overtakes him for relinquishing his vows in the pursuit of a material lifestyle. But, when in youth and rolling in money, the material world seems a place worth living in and living for.

One day the guru, after his penance of twelve years returns to that place. He looks at the property askance. The place, presently adorned with tens of cows and servants, looked twenty times bigger than what he had left behind. The guru thinks that some crooked must have encroached on the land evicting the simpleton disciple. He decides to go inside to hex the culprit with the power of his long penance. Fury starts to show signs on his brows before he is greeted with a dandvata pranama — obeisance offered in the most respectful manner. The guru does not want to believe what he sees: his disciple in the attire of a householder. Before he can gulp his emotions, the disciple signals his three children to bow down at the feet of his guru. Shocked, shaken and shattered, the guru somehow manages to stay alive. He pinches himself to confirm he is not dreaming.

With great dismay and dire inquisitiveness, he takes his disciple aside to understand the situation. “How on earth could you get entangled in all this?” asks the guru shaking his head in disgust. The disciple lowers his head a little, further lowering his eyes, shyly utters out in voice barely audible, “I had to do all this to save my loincloth!”